


He can Understand

by bamboozledeagle



Category: Disney's House of Mouse (Cartoon), DuckTales (Cartoon 2017), PKNA - Paperinik New Adventures
Genre: Animaniacs Mentioned, Bendy and the Ink Machine Mentioned, Daisy is a Spy, Donald is tired, Goofy is a Hero, Guys everything is media and they're all actors like in House of Mouse, House of Mouse AU, I don't know how to tag this lmao, Mickey Mouse is a Hero, Minnie is a Spy, friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:33:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27903763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bamboozledeagle/pseuds/bamboozledeagle
Summary: In which his friends are falling into dangerous occupations that Donald just got out of and he has to let them go.A series of one-shots where Donald deals with the fallout of having his friends fill the space Paperinik and Double Duck left.
Relationships: Daisy Duck & Donald Duck & Goofy & Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck & the House of Mouse Staff, Donald Duck/Uno | One (Disney: PKNA)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 64





	1. Crashed Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steelbeak ruins everything.

Donald is fine with his friends being superheros. He’s fine with Goofy and Mickey taking off without a moments notice and leaving Donald behind to run the whole place on his own. He’s used to it at this point, he can run around and improvise when things go wrong like a pro, but more importantly he _understands_. It may not be fair to him, but the world needs his friends more than Donald does.

Tonight, however, he could really use some help.

“MOUSE!” Steelbeak roars from the middle of the club. He stands tall and proud while Club members and guests cower away from the guns that his lackeys are pointing at them.

Everyone is still seated and even though they’re all frightened, no one has been shot. Yet.

Max and the penguins have their hands raised in surrender and they’re shoved over to Daisy and Minnie. The two women are visibly unhappy and Donald would bet the House that one or both of them have already notified their secret agency of the situation. 

He wonders if spy work is as exhausting for them as it was for him. There were simply too many betrayals for him to stick around as DoubleDuck any longer than necessary.

Steelbeak roars Mickey’s name again and after shooting off a quick text, Donald steps out from offstage, “He’s not here.”

Donald’s hands are raised and once he steps out, multiple others come out as well. Actors that were about to go on stage, the stagehands, and even the mechanics. Donald’s nephews are, thankfully, on the roof with Webby and Lena watching for Mickey and Goofy’s return. They’ve probably heard the gunfire and screams, but Donald hopes they have the sense to stay on the roof. 

Steelbeak gestures for his minions to grab Donald. 

He goes with them willingly and doesn’t offer any resistance. Right now he’s in charge of the house and any death that occurs is Donald’s responsibility. Resisting would be unwise. 

“You must be Duck.” Steelbeak smirks, “Word on the street is that you’ve been the one running this business.”

“What do you want?” Donald asks and he notices some of Steelbeak’s men pull PJ out from the back kitchen. He very carefully doesn’t take his eyes off of Steelbeak.

“This club.” The chicken answers smoothly and Donald sincerely hopes Drake got his message, “Ever since you opened it, it’s become quite the spectacle. How much money do you make a night? I wonder…”

“Not as much as you’d think.” Donald grumbles, only a little bitter. They may be considered high-class, but the bills still have to be paid. 

“And the location!” Steelbeak smiles as if he didn’t hear him, “It’s the perfect spot! You should be proud!”

Donald’s head snaps to the right as Steelbeak punches him, he would have fallen over if it weren’t for the lackeys still holding him, “But you aren’t the one I need.”

“Sir!” a cat runs up, “Duck was right, Mouse isn’t here.”

Donald moves his jaw around and checks to makes sure his teeth aren’t broken. Damn, that hurt.

Steelbeak huffs in irritation, “Well this is terribly upsetting. I put on such a show for him and he isn’t even here to see it.”

The tension in the room grows and Donald’s heart seizes. What will Steelbeak do now? He’s been insulted by Mickey’s absence and there’s nothing stopping him from killing everyone in the building.

“No matter.” Steelbeak pulls out a gun and points it at Donald’s head, “I figured this might happen. After all, Mouse is hardly ever here and everyone knows you’ve been calling the shots.”

Donald sees his friends tense and Minnie stops Daisy from leaping at the person guarding them. Everyone is scared, he can feel it. If he’s honest, he is too. 

This isn’t like fighting the Evronians or stopping the Organization. He’s got a gun pointed to his head and his friends are watching. 

“If I can’t go to Mickey, then Mickey will come to me.” 

Someone screams, but Donald can’t hear it over the loud BANG from the gun. Pain rips through his shoulder and Donald grits his teeth against the pained yell that wants to leave his beak. 

“Grab him and lets go.”

Donald is hauled out of the club and into the street where a helicopter is waiting. News crews are already crowded around the area, filming whatever they can. Police are keeping them at a safe distance, but the cops don’t dare approach. 

Donald is shoved into the chopper and forced into a seat. The moment his arms are released he tries to staunch the blood from his wound. His stomach drops as the helicopter takes flight. 

The cat has a gun pointed at Donald. As if the duck would try to start something this high in the air and in a chopper that doesn’t have doors…

Well, Donald wouldn’t.

Darkwing might.

The helicopter rocks and Donald knows that Darkwing definitely _would_. He sees a familiar purple hat appear and in the chaos that follows, he kicks the cat’s gun out of his hands. Donald grabs on to the handle next to him as bodies try to move around him and fight. 

A large hand grabs the front of his shirt and dangles him off the edge of the chopper. Donald yelps at the sudden movement and wearily eyes the very _very_ long drop beneath him.

“Don’t move Darkwing or the hostage gets it!” 

Donald looks into the chopper and notices that the lackeys are all down. It’s just Darkwing, Steelbeak, and Donald. 

Donald looks at his friend and makes eye contact, “Kick his ass.”

Donald hits a joint on Steelbeak’s wrist, forcing the chicken to release his grip on Donald. 

He free falls down to the hard ground below. 

Donald turns his body around in the air, desperately looking for a way out of this mess that he’s put himself in. He spots something running across the rooftops. Donald squints his eyes against the wind.

“Un - ooph!”

Donald’s breath is knocked out of him when his friend catches him out of the air. They land on a roof with Donald carefully cradled in Uno’s arms. 

Donald coughs, “Uno, what the hell?”

Uno scowls down at him, “You are lucky that I was already in my android body when I saw the news.”

“Sorry.” Donald relaxes into the android’s hold, feeling safe for the first time in the past twenty minutes, “Next time, I’ll let you know when I’m planning on getting kidnapped.”

“He shot you.” Uno glares at Donald’s bullet wound. 

“He ruined my suit.” Donald glares at the blood on his shirt. 

“I can make you a new one.” Uno raises his eyebrow at Donald’s odd priorities.

Donald let’s his head rest on Uno’s shoulder and whines, “But this one is my favorite.”

“They are all your favorite.” Uno teases, but his amusement is short and he looks up at the chopper that is now far in the distance.

“Is Drake alright?” Donald asks

“He is fine. My satellites show that he is the one operating the vehicle. He will most likely turn it into the police station.” Uno states, “In the meantime, we must get you medical attention.”

“Are we going back to the club?” Donald asks.

“Yes.” Uno answers and he jumps down from the roof onto the street. He doesn’t put Donald down. Donald kind of doesn’t want him to. 

They walk back in silence, occasionally bantering about something trivial and a block away from the club Donald says, “Thanks for catching me.”

“You know that I am happy to catch you whenever you fall.” Uno blinks down at him.

“Uno, it’s a thank you. You didn’t need to get all mushy on me.” Donald flushes.

“But I like mushy.” Uno kisses his forehead and Donald laughs. 

Uno carries him over the police line and walks over to the nearest ambulance. 

The outside of the club is overflowing with police cars and ambulances. Tonight’s attenders are scattered over a sectioned area, sitting with shock blankets thrown over their shoulders and talking to police officers. Donald sees his friends and his kids and he sighs in relief. They’re all safe. 

Uno is led to a bed by a paramedic and he gently puts Donald down onto it.

Louie notices him first. The green duckling (he’s a teenager now, but he’ll always be a duckling in Donald’s eyes) frantically hits the kids closest to him (which happen to be Lena and Huey) and he gestures wildly at Donald. 

Donald almost chuckles, he’s never seen Louie so speechless before.

The kids run over and leap on top of him, “Uncle Donald!”

“Hey ki - watch the shoulder - _watch the shoulder_.” The kids are pulled off by the paramedics and Uno, but they continue to hover over him.

“They said-”

“We thought-”

“You were shot!”

“We were-”

“We didn’t think-”

“We’re so glad you’re okay!”

“You scared us!”

Donald smiles at them apologetically, “Sorry.”

“DONALD FAUNTLEROY DUCK!”

Donald whips his head around, about to beg the nearest paramedic to load him into the ambulance and take him to the hospital, but Daisy is too fast.

“You scared the devil out of us!” Daisy scolds, “How did you get back?!”

Minnie is right behind her and so are all of his friends. 

He really doesn’t want to tell them that he threw himself out of the chopper. 

“Darkwing Duck showed up.” Donald half-lies, “He dropped me off in the street and Uno walked me back.”

“Mr. Duck, we’re taking you to the hospital now.” A dog paramedic says. 

As they lift the bed into the ambulance, Donald realizes something. He looks out over his family, friends, and coworkers. He takes in their worried faces and the determined set to some of their shoulders. He looks at Uno.

He didn’t need Mickey or Goofy. Daisy worked with the police, Minnie had taken care of everyone, Drake had saved his life, and Uno had caught him. They were his support, the people he could trust to take charge, and they always had his back. He was never really running the House all by himself. 

He didn’t need Mickey or Goofy. The world could have the two heroes. Donald? Donald gets this. 


	2. Ditch Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goofy and Mickey save the world, Donald is left without his friends on guy's night out. He ends up having a date instead.

Donald isn’t drunk.

He’d like to be, but he can’t convince himself to get completely plastered. He’s still at the bowling alley, even though he knows full well his friends aren’t coming back from the ‘bathroom’. He can see them on the television screen on the other side of the bar area. SuperGoof and MightyMouse are both trading blows with this week’s villain and it looks like it’s going to be a long night.

He wants to blame them for his loneliness, for ditching him on Guy’s Night Out, but he can’t. He remembers how it used to be. The battles, the missed dates with Daisy, losing touch with his friends…it was hard. Being on the other side of it, he’s starting to realize, really sucks. If he had any doubts about breaking up with Daisy while being PK they’re gone now, because this? This is awful.

At some point Mortimer shows up ranting about how the girls are ruining the night. Donald raises an eyebrow, more than a little skeptical about what the giant mouse is saying because it’s Mortimer that’s talking. Plus he’s ranting about the same girls that have helped Donald run the House of Mouse without Mickey or Goofy around.

Donald rolls his eyes. It’s clear Mortimer won’t leave him alone until he comes to see for himself.

Donald calls Daffy and tells him there’s an open lane that’s already been paid for. He says that if Daffy’s fine with having the first three turns already played, then he can bring Bugs and another friend over and go nuts. Donald hangs up before Daffy can ask questions.

He pays for his drink and leaves.

Mortimer gives him a funny look, “Where are Mickey and Goofy?”

Donald grunts at him, “Busy.”

The mouse makes a thoughtful noise and Donald really doesn’t want to deal with whatever the obnoxious animal has come up with now. Thankfully, he keeps quiet as they hail a taxi and ride over to the club.

Donald texts the chat he has with April, May, and June. They tell him everything is fine and even send a photo. Donald didn’t have any doubts but it’s nice to have confirmation. Mortimer isn’t satisfied until they both put their ears to the door and hear the crowd cheering.

Donald gives Mortimer a look and walks off.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Mortimer calls and Donald just raises a hand without turning around, “Good night, Mortimer.”

He’s had enough for one night.

Donald ends up wandering into the nearest bar and decides he really doesn’t have a good enough reason to stay sober.

After his third drink, he calls Uno. He’s not sure how his fumbling fingers manage to type out his friend’s number, but the next thing he knows he’s slurring into the phone “Uno! Hey, _hi_ , how **are** you? I am so dRUnk.”

“Donald?” He hears Uno say and Donald responds, very eloquently, “Uh, duh. Who else would call you at this hour? Not Everett. I don’t think… **does** he call you at this hour? What is this hour _anyway_? Time isn’t real.” He cackles

“Donald, why are you calling me? Why are you drunk?”

Donald puts his head on the bar table, it’s nice a cold and he’s sad so yeah. Head on table.

“M’ lonely.” He says sadly, “Mickey and Goofy ran off again because – oh shhh – m’ not supposed to say.” He giggles a little but it dies quickly, “I just…wanted a friend and you, you’re my best friend, and – and – and – ”

Donald sighs, remembering that his friend is supposed to run an entire tower. That must be exhausting. Donald is probably exhausting, he should hang up and let Uno work. “I shouldn’t have called, m’ sorry.”

“Donald wa-” The phone clicks shut and Donald lets his arms hang with his phone held loosely in one hand.

He’s not sure how long he sits like that, sitting in a bar stool with his head resting on the bar table while his arms dangle in between.

He might have dozed off, but then there’s a hand on his back and someone is pulling him up from the table, “Donald?”

It’s Uno, Donald would know that voice anywhere.

“Hiii, Uno.” He grins and slumps against his friend’s shoulder.

“I’m drunk.” He reminds his friend, very seriously.

“Yes, I can tell.” Uno says, “You need food and water. Come on.” He pulls Donald off the stool, wrapping Donald’s arm around his shoulders, and Donald leans heavily on him. He doesn’t notice Uno pay his tab.

The night air is cool on his skin. Donald hadn’t even realized that he was hot until a breeze gently ruffles his feathers. Donald blinks and now he’s in a dark room with popcorn in his hands, “Where are we?”

“Movie theatre.” Uno answers

“Oh.” Donald says intelligently. He’s curled up in his seat with a bag of popcorn in one hand, a bottle of water in his cup holder, and he’s leaning against Uno.

“Why are we here?”

“Because you needed food and water and time to sober up.” Uno says. He’s so smart.

“I’m an Artifical Intelligence, being smart is part of the name.”

Oh, he said that out loud.

“Yes, you did. Eat your popcorn.”

Donald sits there and watches the movie. When they’re halfway through, the buzz has left him and he feels more aware of the world around him. Particularly the part of the world that Uno occupies.

The android is watching him with those brilliant green eyes of his. The same eyes that showed up when Mickey and Goofy had left. The same eyes that pulled his sorry ass out of a bar at an absurd hour of the night. The same eyes that took him to a movie and bought him popcorn and water so he could sober up…but why?

“Why are we here?” He asks again.

“Because you needed food and water and time to - ”

“Sober up. Yeah, I remember that much, but you could have just taken me home and put a movie on.” Donald points out.

Uno turns red with embarrassment, “You seemed upset that your friends left you during what was supposed to be a fun time. I thought perhaps taking you to see a movie would…help.”

Donald blinks at him, stares at his friend’s stupidly nice-looking face, thinks about everything they’ve been through together and what Uno had done tonight, and Donald makes a very stupid decision. He drops the empty popcorn bag and pulls Uno into a kiss.

Uno doesn’t move when their lips touch, there isn’t any time for him to react, because Donald pulls back just as quickly as he dove in.

They stare at each other for a moment.

“I am so sorry.” Donald recoils and gets up to run out, but a hand on his wrist stops him.

“Why did you do that?” Uno asks, and Donald has never seen his eyes glow so intensely.

“Uno, I - ” He starts to dodge the question but Uno knows him too well.

“Please.” Uno tugs his arm, urging him back into his seat, “Please tell me.”

Donald sits down. He…He’s not even sure how to begin to start this conversation.

“Tonight.” He beings, “You came when I called you even though you probably have a million better things to do.”

He looks at Uno and he’s overwhelmed with emotion.

“You’re my partner and my best friend. I’ve never had a relationship anything like ours before. You help me when I need it, you listen when I speak, and you are just…so good to me. I’m sorry about the kiss, I should have asked.”

Uno stares at him and Donald braces himself for rejection, but Uno’s voice is soft when he says, “You offered me popcorn four times tonight.”

“What?” Donald asks, confused by the change in subject.

“Donald.” Uno grabs both of Donald’s hands in his own, “I am not a biological like you. I don’t eat, I don’t need to sleep, and I thought I didn’t have emotions.”

Uno moves his thumbs over the back of Donald’s hands.

“The moment I first met you, you didn’t treat me like a computer.” Uno’s eyes glow, “You treated me as your equal. You offered me popcorn, you worried about kissing me without my permission, and you’re concerned about ‘bothering’ me.”

Someone screams on the movie screen, but both of them could care less. Donald is completely caught in Uno’s speech.

“Donald, I have spent the past year sorting through something I never thought I was capable of.” Uno brings one of Donald’s hands up and kisses his knuckles. Donald goes scarlet but a part of his brain compares the moment to the recent episode of Anxieties and ruins the moment.

“Do you regret kissing me?” Uno asks

“No.” Donald’s mouth moves before his brain can catch up with him.

“Good, because I finally think I’ve discovered what I feel for you.”

“And what’s that?”

“Happiness, trust, admiration,” Uno releases Donald’s hands and brings his up to the sides of Donald’s face. Donald can’t help but lean into the touch, “and love.”

The kiss isn’t brief this time around.


	3. Realizations

It’s stupidly obvious. 

Donald remembers how it went. The abrupt rain checks, the awful timing, the fights, the wounds, the sleepless nights. He figures out what his friends are doing pretty quickly. 

“I can’t find Mickey!” Minnie whispered frantically in his ear. The host is supposed to be on stage in three minutes and he’s nowhere to be found. It’s the first time this has happened and it’s far from the last. That night he and Daisy pulled Minnie aside and took off her tech. They rushed around with a calm they didn’t know they were capable of, grabbing make-up and a nicer outfit, and fixing her up quickly. They sent her out in Mickey’s place, Daisy feeding her lines so she wouldn’t have to improvise on the spot.

Minnie, without realizing it, slowly learns how to host. Donald begins to learn how to act as the planner and book-keeper in her place. It’s not so bad at first. Minnie can still do her job with Donald’s help, but Goofy starts vanishing too. 

“I can’t find Dad!” Max runs up to him and Donald hurries over to the kitchen to find it in chaos. Goofy might have been accident-prone but he was a damn good Head Waiter. Without him, the kitchen staff are left confused and disoriented under so many orders. 

Donald shuts the doors and yells “EVERYONE STOP!” The staff freezes and looks over at him. The crashing of pots and pans have stopped and the chaos comes to an abruptly silent halt. 

“Max do you remember who ordered what?” Donald asks calmly. Without the panicked shouting and clattering, Max latches onto the calm and lets himself think for the first time since his Dad slipped away. “Okay, okay, uh, I know Ursula usually orders fish and the weird guys always order bugs so…”

The kitchen starts to go back to work at a much more organized pace.

After that Max learns how to take his Dad’s place. Like Minnie started to quietly learn how to host, Max started to learn how to be Head Waiter. The two of them never mention it, so Donald is left uncertain if they even realize what is happening.

With every new disappearance, the two get just a little bit better at replacing them.

…

And then Daisy and Minnie start taking time off. 

It wouldn’t be a problem if there was any consistency to it. 

“What do you mean you need next week off?” Donald drops his kitchen knife and nearly cuts his toes off, “Paris? But Minnie is going to Spain!”

It’s always the same excuses. No, they can’t change it to a different week or day, it has to happen now. No, it doesn’t matter that Donald is being left without his only two reliable employees, this is non-negotiable. Donald narrows his eyes, a sudden thought occurring to him. 

It’s certainly similar to - he could call his old contacts and see if - no, better not. Double Duck is as dead as Duck Avenger.

“Alright.” He hangs up before Daisy can say anything. Figures, his two best friends are super heroes and the other two are probably spies. 

Donald pinches the bridge of his nose. What is he supposed to do for next week’s shows? 

He could give the Animaniacs a call about their reboot and see if they’ll let him run some of their old shows as well as guest host. Maybe for the next day he could call the Cup Brothers or even see if Bendy wants to make an appearance? 

He cancels all his plans for the day and sits down to make some calls. He’s in luck. The Animaniacs are thrilled to have the House for a night and Bendy promised he and his friends could handle an entire night. The Cup Brothers agree to do a segment and a reluctant call to Daffy and Bugs fills up the rest of the third night. 

It’s late by the time he finalizes everything. He wasted the entire day away pacing around his house and calling people.

Growling he starts to finally let the anger take over. He punches the wall and expects more rage to fill him back up but…he remembers what it was like. 

Having the weight of the entire world on your shoulders. Risking your life for people who will never know what you gave up to keep them safe. It’s a thankless job, he knows, and the girls _had_ sounded apologetic…

It’s not fair. He has every right to be mad, but he knows. He _knows_ what they’re going through.

He slowly, without realizing it, learns how to run the club by himself. 

With every new disappearance, he gets just a little bit better at replacing his friends. 

Everyone with eyes will say it’s stupidly obvious. 

Mickey might co-own the House, but Donald is the one running it.


End file.
